The Survey of Education and Work (SEW) provides information on the educational experience of persons aged 15-64 years. Information collected includes participation in education in the previous year, and in the survey month, educational attainment, transition from education to work and selected characteristics of apprentices.

Scope

All persons aged 15-64 years, excluding the following:

members of the permanent defence forces

certain diplomatic personnel of overseas governments

overseas residents in Australia

members of non-Australian defence forces (and their dependants)

persons permanently unable to work

patients in hospitals, residents of homes, and inmates of prisons.

Students at boarding schools are in scope and the survey has an estimate of 10,800 boarding school pupils aged 15 years or more. The only details collected for this group were sex and age.

The survey is conducted in both urban and rural areas in all states and territories, but since 1997 excludes persons living in certain remote and sparsely settled parts of Australia. The exclusion of these persons only has a minor impact on any aggregate estimates that are produced for individual states and territories, with the exception of the Northern Territory.

Labour force statusStatus in employment in current jobOccupationOccupation of last full-time jobIndustry Industry of last full-time jobDuration of unemployment

Study arrangements in previous year

Whether attended an educational institution
Type of educational institution attended
Type of attendance
Level of education of study
Main field of education of studyStatus of course of study undertaken

Current study arrangements

Whether attending an educational institutionType of educational institution attendingType of attendance (full-time/part-time)Level of education of studyMain field of education of studyType of school attending (government/non-government)

Starters

Persons who were not enrolled in a course of study leading to a qualification in the previous year and are currently enrolled in a course of study in the reference periodLevel and main field of education of current study leading to a qualification

Leavers

Age at time of leaving full-time educationYear last attended an educational institution full-timeTime of leaving full-time educationMain reason left full-time tertiary educationType of school last attendedLabour force status of leaversUnmet demand

Whether applied to enrol in an educational institution and type of institution

Apprentices

Commencement of apprenticeshipIndustry sectorField of trade

GEOGRAPHY

Data are available for Australia, each State and Territory, capital city/balance of state (excluding Territories), and may be available for the standard labour force survey dissemination regions within each State.

METHOD OF COLLECTION

SEW is a supplementary survey to the Labour Force Survey. Information is collected from a responsible adult on behalf of household members. Interviews are conducted over the phone by trained interviewers.

The sample for SEW is restricted to no more than seven-eights of the LFS sample and includes approximately 44,000 persons.

TIMING OF COLLECTION

Reference Period

May each year.

Frequency of Collection

Annual.

Historical Data

The survey was first conducted in February 1964. The most recent survey was conducted in May 2003, and is scheduled for release in December 2003. Complete data are available from May 1983 to present. Limited data are available from February 1964 to May 1982. Information regarding apprentices was collected for the first time in May 1983.

In 2001, the ABS Classification of Qualifications (ABSCQ) was replaced by the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED). The ASCED is a new national standard classification which can be applied to all sectors of the Australian education system including schools, vocational education and training, and higher education. The ASCED comprises two classifications: Level of Education and Field of Education.

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